Germany’s parliament has approved new customs powers intended to let authorities examine suspicious assets earlier in money-laundering and organised-crime cases. That is a defensible shift: following illicit wealth should not always depend on waiting for a criminal case to reach the threshold of initial suspicion. But earlier intervention must not become confiscation by another name.
According to Der Spiegel’s report, the core measure is an administrative asset-investigation and safeguarding tool. It is intended to apply where there are reasonable doubts about an asset’s lawful origin, even without initial suspicion for criminal proceedings. The report lists real estate, luxury vehicles, art and cryptoassets. Assets above 100,000 euros are generally treated as significant; for registrable goods such as real estate and vehicles, the threshold is 50,000 euros.
The important safeguard is at the final stage. A finance court, sitting as a panel of several judges, is intended to decide on any final confiscation. The reform therefore brings forward investigation and preservation of assets, while keeping the final decision to deprive someone of property within judicial proceedings.
The government also plans to consolidate investigative units, improve information-sharing between authorities, strengthen the Financial Control of Undeclared Work and use AI in data analysis. Its bill estimates annual proceeds of 308 million euros from 2028. That is a projection based, according to the report, on an assumed success rate of about 50 percent, rather than money already recovered.
The Greens and the Left criticised the reform as insufficiently ambitious. Their objection points to the real test ahead. Additional powers can help authorities pursue illicit financial flows, but their legitimacy and effectiveness will depend on clear criteria, practical capacity and meaningful legal remedies. Parliament has moved the starting point for intervention; the rule-of-law test will be how that power is used.
Sources
- Der Spiegel · Source date: 2026-11-12
Independent editorial content. WUA is not affiliated with any political party. 2026-11-12